


Obsessing With The Wrong Person

by LevisUnicorn



Category: Aldnoah.Zero (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Asseylum Bashing, Canonical Character Death, Enemies to Friends, Injury Recovery, M/M, Major Character Injury, Not Beta Read
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-01
Updated: 2019-10-01
Packaged: 2020-11-09 02:13:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20845850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LevisUnicorn/pseuds/LevisUnicorn
Summary: Slaine loses his memory and starts to have a crush on his guardian. But he won’t admit it without blushing to death. Because Inaho doesn’t look like he has any interest in him. Inaho is busy spending his time with that Princess of his… Slaine must take the matters in his hand before losing him to her evil claws!Or me changing how things went on from season 1's ending.





	Obsessing With The Wrong Person

**Author's Note:**

> I dragged this for months and had so much fun with some scenes. But I'm not sure if it's satisfying. I'm sure it's good enough to post. No need for it to stay on my computer with no one to read it. Also tell me if I missed something important in the tags after you read it, please. Thanks for reading.

Slaine couldn’t win against Inaho. And he wonders if he ever will.

Count Saazbaum was killed by Orange and it looks like Princess Asseylum helped doing that. Slaine couldn’t stop the anger growing inside him when he realized what was going on. Orange was using the princess for his goals.

Slaine aimed his gun at Orange. But the princess saw Slaine and jumped in front of the other boy with her arms open to protect him. Slaine didn’t fire with panic or anything. He just watched the scene playing in front of him with curious and hurt filled eyes. Slaine couldn’t understand how Asseylum let herself be manipulated by that bastard. It frustrated him, angered him… it hurt him to see his princess like that.

Slaine always wanted the best for the princess. He let the Martians beat him, torture him and endured all kinds of things in the past just to be able to stay by her side. But the princess now stood before him was looking at him like he was the real enemy. She was protecting someone else from Slaine. He didn’t understand how it all came to this. He didn’t want to understand. Slaine lost all of his hope. She was brainwashed by those Terrans and Orange. Slaine didn’t see any way out of this unless he forced her to leave with him. And she wouldn’t be happy with that. Not with leaving her precious Orange behind.

“Why do you protect him, Princess Asseylum?”

“Slaine, please lower your gun. They’re not the enemy. He’s not the enemy.”

Slaine snorted. “Then who is? Are you implying that I’m the enemy? Are you protecting him from an enemy right now?”

“Slaine… There’s no enemy here. Please stop this and come with me. With us.”

Slaine watched as Orange moved to the side and stepped in front of the princess with his gun aimed at him. Was he trying to play the hero now? Slaine wouldn’t hurt the Princess. He would never do something like that.

“Well, there’s no enemy you said? But I was labeled as one before… Right, Orange?”

“Bat...”

Finally an emotion crossed the ever calm Orange’s face. A glare aimed towards Slaine. There was no doubt Slaine was already dead in that calculating head of his.

“What are you talking about, Slaine?” asked Asseylum with a frown.

But before he could out what Orange did they heard the approaching footsteps. Slaine didn’t get a chance to figure out if they were Martians or Terrans. Because Orange shoot his gun and Slaine started to fall on his back as he saw the princess reaching out to him with a shout. Then he hit his head so hard he saw black.

~*~

Slaine felt great pain all over his body. He must have slept so long his muscles were crying at him. He opened his eyes to a bright room and a big man leaning over him. Studying him with furrowed brows.

“How do you feel?” The man leaned back and stood by his bed while looking over a tablet in his hand.

“Hurt… It hurts…” Slaine mumbled. His throat and mouth felt so dry he didn’t even want to talk.

“Here.” The man -Slaine assumed he was a doctor what with his white coat- held up a cup of water to his lips.

“Thanks.” Slaine said before taking a few sip.

“Where does it hurt, Slaine?”

“My head…and chest. What happened?”

The doctor put the water next to his bedside table where he probably took it from. Slaine was better after drinking some water. He wondered how long he must have been sleeping here.

“You were shot in your shoulder which is almost healed by now. You just have to be careful with your stiches. But you weren’t as lucky with your head. Try to answer my questions for now, okay? Do you have any idea where you are?”

“I don’t know… Infirmary?” asked Slaine hesitantly. The doctor nodded in affirmation.

“And do you think you can tell me the month or the season we are in? The last date you remember?”

“No, I don’t... There’s no season on moon…” Slaine’s confusion was written across his face now. The heart monitor started to speed up with its beeping and alerted the doctor to his patience distress. Slaine’s eyes opened wide as a thought occurred to him.

“Where’s my father? Did you find him? There was an explosion!” Slaine grabbed the doctor while he tried sitting up.

“You must stay down, Slaine. I’ll give you some sedatives now. You must rest.” The doctor said soothingly and helped him lie back down. He pushed some buttons next to the heart monitor and Slaine realized he was attached to some tubes as something flowed in them.

“No! You have to find him! He must have escaped… He won’t… leave me… alone…” Slaine’s couldn’t resist the heaviness of his eyelids and surrendered to sleep.

~*~

Doctor Yagarai sighed as he made some notes on his tablet. The door to Slaine’s room slide opened and Inaho came in.

“What happened?” asked Inaho. He had watched everything on the camera room next to this one.

“He panicked after I asked the date. He was talking about an explosion and the moon. He must have a memory lost. I’m not sure if it’s permanent yet.”

“It’s possible he was just acting.” Said Inaho as he watched the blonde breathing slowly.

“I’ll be the one to decide if he was. Please don’t put any more stress than they already have on my patients.”

The doctor smiled and walked past him to leave the room for now. But Inaho couldn’t move his eyes away from the sleeping figure.

Inaho remembered how he shot Slaine on his shoulder. And said boy’s fall on the hard floor.

Asseylum cried Slaine’s name and ran to his body. She was cradling his head in her lap when Inaho saw Yuki and his friends approaching.

Inaho assured them that they were fine and moved on to help Slaine. He noticed Asseylum was crying while doing nothing but pushing Slaine’s hair back from his forehead repeatedly. He thought that wasn’t practical since Slaine needed first aid and not a head massage right now.

Inaho called Yuki to take Asseylum away while he searched for something to put pressure on the wound. He made use of Slaine’s uniform jacket and secured it on the wound and his naked torso.

Asseylum looked like she calmed down enough when Inaho asked Yuki for help on putting Slaine on his back so he could carry him. They soon left the place.

Inaho was thinking back on those memories as he watched the blonde’s half naked torso rising up and down under the covers. He had many visible scars on his body. It was easy to understand there were both old and new ones from their state of healing. He reached a hand to Slaine’s chest and his hand hovered over it before he decided not to touch and moved the covers back up on Slaine’s shoulders.

Slaine’s last word had been Orange. And Inaho was still surprised to find out the Bat was Asseylum’s childhood friend. And he shot him twice now. Inaho didn’t want Asseylum to hate him for that. He also didn’t want Slaine to talk about it with her. Seems like Slaine has an effect on her believes and thoughts. If not careful, Inaho’s plans on ending the war with her help might be effected by that.

There wasn’t any other reason for Inaho to keep them away from each other. There wasn’t any unpractical feelings behind those thoughts. Or so he decided to believe.

But he couldn’t stop Asseylum from seeing Slaine. That’s why he decided to never leave them alone by following Slaine’s progress himself. Thus he asked to be responsible from Slaine’s safety for the time being.

~*~

The second time Slaine woke was to the whispers of someone near his bed. He opened his eyes to a blonde girl with bright eyes. She was holding Slaine’s hand in hers and held it to her cheeks.

“Slaine!” She stood up from her chair with a cheerful voice but it just made Slaine all the more scared.

“Who are you?” Slaine raised his voice a little with confusion and fear. She was too close and Slaine felt really overwhelmed by her close proximity.

“It’s me, Princess Asseylum. Slaine, don’t you remember me?” She sounded so hopeful and looked right into Slaine’s eyes for some kind of recognition. Slaine averted his eyes to his left and pulled his right hand back from hers to rest it on his stomach. He realized he had a white cloth on him this time. He was glad he wasn’t half naked around this girl.

“I don’t know you. Can you back off a little? You’re annoyingly loud.” Slaine knew he was being rude. But couldn’t stop himself from wanting some space between them.

“Seylum-san, here. Please sit down.” Someone said behind her while holding her chair a bit back from the bed. Slaine was grateful when she nodded and sat down.

Slaine glanced at the standing brunette behind her and realized the brunette was staring right back at him. Slaine averted his eyes without knowing why.

“Where is the doctor from before?” asked Slaine to no one in particular.

“Do you have pain, Slaine-san?” asked the brunette.

“No…” Slaine answered with a low voice. He had a little ache on his shoulder but Slaine didn’t want to show weakness in front of them. Slaine would rather have the doctor here when he woke up. Why did they come to see him anyway? Slaine didn’t know them.

“Slaine… I was so worried. I’m glad you are better now. I heard you were having a hard time remembering some things.” She talked while never dropping her smile from her face, Slaine noticed from the corner of his eyes.

Slaine thought about what she said. He didn’t realize he had a _‘hard time remembering things’_ at all. But he knew he shouldn’t have a body this big as he was much younger when he… when he escaped from the moon base? He thought he was successful with his escape. But didn’t remember how it happened. Maybe he was comatose for years. And he just woke up recently? But that didn’t explain how she…acted like she knew him. Slaine didn’t know a girl like her. He never met with the brunette either. He could feel the headache starting now.

Slaine sighed and decided it was better to ask them about it. Slaine turned his face back to them and his gaze flickered between the two.

“What happened to me? Was I comatose for years? What happened?”

_‘The Princess’ _as she called herself frowned and opened her mouth when the brunette stepped next to her and put his hand on her shoulder briefly to stop her from talking. Slaine focused on him for answers.

“You weren’t comatose, Slaine Troyard. You survived your escape from the moon base years ago and you are here because you were badly injured from your recent mission. You have a temporary memory lost from hitting your head.”

Slaine remembered his father. If he wasn’t here when Slaine was injured this badly then he must have not made it out of there. Slaine felt sadness creep into his heart but couldn’t stop his relieved sigh. His father wasn’t the best father of the universe after all. Slaine resented him for many things he had done but he was still his father. And he didn’t want him to die while saving his son. Slaine wanted to forget about everything that happened on that base.

“Well… I should have forgotten more while I had the chance...” Slaine commented with a depressed chuckle. He reached to rub his eyes with his right arm but his unused muscles protested at the action. He groaned but still moved his arm to swipe at his watering eyes. Then he slipped his hand through his long bangs to push them back a little. Why were they so long?

“And who are you two? Did I know you before I… cracked my head, you know?” Slaine snorted to himself and settled his gaze on the brunette that raised an eyebrow to his joke. But it was the Princess who answered for him.

“Of course, Slaine! You are my friend for years now. We met after the accident you had with your escape pod. You fell to one of our gardens from the sky.” She must have felt the brunette’s questioning gaze since she turned with a gasp. “Oh! I didn’t tell you that before, right Inaho-san?” She asked with another smile. The brunette just turned his gaze back to Slaine with some interest in his eyes.

“No, you did not… Seylum-san.”

Slaine wondered about their relationship. This brunette named Inaho seemed like he was a little hurt from not knowing this beforehand. Slaine felt weird by reading Inaho’s emotions on the matter. Though he didn’t hold back from returning the watchful gaze from Inaho with a frown of his own.

“Right… And you? Are you also a prince or something? Are you two-?”

“I’m not.” The brunette answered loudly before Slaine could finish his question on their relationship. Inaho seemed uncomfortable while checking the Princess with a glance. Slaine felt amused by Inaho’s actions. And decided to take every opportunity to make him look like this.

“I’m not a prince, Slaine-san. My name is Kaizuka Inaho. We didn’t know each other before your injury.” He answered while sending a glare to Slaine’s smirking face. Slaine felt more amused by that. And felt relieved that Inaho wouldn’t be as friendly as the Princess acted towards him. Slaine didn’t like his personal space invaded by strangers after all.

“Okay, then can I ask you to show the way out to the Princess, Inaho?” Slaine didn’t bother with honorifics like Inaho and the girl did.

“Why is that? You just woke up, Slaine. We should talk while you’re feeling fine.” The Princess protested with a frown. “Or is it that you’re not feeling well? Should we call for the doctor, Slaine?” She stood up and came to his bed with worried eyes. Slaine inched back from her on his bed instinctively.

“No, I’m fine! Can you not-ow… Can you step back please?” Slaine pleaded to her while adjusting his shoulder to make the pain stop.

To his relief, Inaho asked the Princess to step back again but she refused to sit down.

“Then why do you want me to leave?” The Princess asked with concern flashing in her eyes.

“I don’t know what you expected from the Slaine you knew but I don’t want to see you right now. And possibly not in the future as well. You’re so… Your presence is tiring. And your familiarity with me is something I don’t feel comfortable with. I wish to be alone.” Slaine felt a little guilty for his harsh words but he just told what he really felt. He decided to be selfish as there was so many things he needed to think right now. He needed to be left alone for a while.

The Princess didn’t look like she would move any time soon. Slaine sent a pleading look to Inaho and the other nodded.

“We should let him rest for now, Seylum-san. He looks tired.” Inaho waited until the Princess nodded and turned around to leave before sending a final nod to Slaine. They left while the doctor came in like he was waiting there all along. And Slaine felt relieved that he could finally ask for some painkillers.

~*~

Inaho entered Slaine’s room without much noise and reached the bedside chair with light steps.

“You wanted to see me, Slaine-san?”

“Please sit, Inaho.” Slaine gestured to the chair and Inaho did as he was told. “And call me Slaine.”

Inaho only stared at him without showing much emotion on his blank face.

“Doctor said that I should talk with you about my visitors.” Slaine shifted his pillows and slowly rested his back on them to sit up. He wasn’t feeling any pain for now so he sighed with relief.

“I haven’t told you before but I am your security guard for the time being.” Inaho said.

“Security guard… sure.”

Slaine understood the meaning of this. He also had _‘guards’_ on the moon base as he was seen as a security risk. He thought why he was brought here if he was a security risk for these people. He may as well be a prisoner with how less people were brought in to his room.

“I don’t want any more visitors. Especially the ones who knows the past me. Like your Princess for that matter.” Inaho’s brows twitched at the last part to Slaine’s amusement.

“And why is that? You’ll regain your memories more quickly if you see the people you already knew. That is if you want to remember in the first place.” Inaho searched his face for confirmation on his conclusion.

“You’re quick, Inaho. I don’t want to.” Slaine smiled apologetically. “If there’s any crime I’ve committed or any punishment I have to bear for my past actions, I accept them. But I don’t want to remember anything nor do I want to hear about them. Please pass that to your superiors.” Slaine turned his gaze to the camera where he suspected he was being watched.

“What makes you think you’ve committed a crime?” Inaho asked calmly.

Slaine couldn’t stop his anger and frustration to show on his voice as he turned sharply to glare at the brunette.

“I’m not stupid, Inaho. I’m a prisoner and seeing as I’m in a military hospital bed or something, I guess I wasn’t willing to be captured and dragged here. I don’t want to know why and how this happened. Just tell anyone who is concerned that I won’t escape as long as I’m left alone.”

Inaho stood up and Slaine thought he would leave. A relieved sigh escaped from his lips. But the brunette only came closer to his bed and bent slightly to look him in the eye with only a small space between their faces.

“Slaine Troyard.”

Slaine’ heart beat faster as he felt the other’s breath on his face. He swallowed and whispered breathlessly. “W-what?”

“You don’t remember anything?”

Inaho searched his eyes for something Slaine didn’t know what. He could only feel the heat rushing to his face under that gaze. He lifted his good arm and pressed it to Inaho’s shoulder to push him back a little with no luck. Inaho didn’t move an inch.

“No… Do you want me to remember?” Slaine couldn’t stop himself from glancing at Inaho’s mouth before looking up at him again.

Inaho’s eyes widened a little from the meaning of that little gesture.

“Not if I can avoid.” Inaho pulled back and cleared his throat. “I’ll hold back the Princess for now but you will eventually regain your memory even without her help. I hope you’re aware of that.”

Inaho didn’t wait for any response and swiftly turned around to the door and left him with a frown.

“_’I hope you’re aware of that’_.” He mimicked Inaho’s words. “Asshole.” Slaine wasn’t beneath of sticking out his tongue at the door.

~*~

It’s been a day or so since Slaine woke up and he was desperate for a bath. So after he made sure the nurse was gone he slid off the bed and walked to the bathroom door without much noise. He jumped with the sound of a door opening.

“Do you need me to call the nurse, Slaine?” asked a voice with a bored tone.

“No!” Slaine turned to the brunette with a shout. Then he started to whisper cautiously as he feared that the old nurse could hear what he was about to say. “Be silent and get in here! She has ears all over the place!”

Slaine pulled Inaho into the room and slowly shut the door. Then turned to him with a finger up to his mouth for silence. He gestured for him to follow as he walked to the bathroom and got inside. The brunette followed him and closed the bathroom door.

“What is going on?”

Slaine sighed and turned to the bathtub to fill it with water. He searched for a towel and shampoo.

“I swear that woman thinks I’m a duckling or something. She doesn’t let me come here without her.”

He found the items and placed them on the cabinet near the bathtub with a grin. He turned off the water. Then he started to get out of his clothes without screwing up his stitches on his shoulder.

“Let me.” Inaho reached to pull the white shirt out of his head and then his bad shoulder.

“Uh, thanks.” Slaine ripped the bandage on his shoulder and put it on the sink.

“She could help you with your bath.” Inaho commented as he stood awkwardly in the small room.

“No way! I don’t want her looking at my body parts.” Slaine moved to remove his pants but froze with Inaho’s next words.

“So you’re okay with _me_ looking at your body parts?” Inaho said with a small smile that went unnoticed by the other.

Slaine was blushing when he tried to answer. “You-you’re not an old woman, I don’t care if you do… But you could… you know… turn around for a bit…” Slaine mumbled with his head hung low from embarrassment.

“Sure.” Inaho turned around with the pace of a turtle as he watched the blonde’s chest and stomach full of scars. He could care less about them but it was fun to watch the red spreading through Slaine’s body as he flushed completely. Inaho was struggling to keep himself from laughing loudly by the time he turned his back to the boy.

But he could see a certain blond head from the shiny surface of a cabinet handle. He closed his eyes and waited for the splashing sound Slaine made in the tub.

Inaho turned back but didn’t look at the blonde immediately. He went to the plastic stool under the sink and pulled it next to the blonde’s head and turned his back to the rest of Slaine’s body before sitting down. He could only see Slaine’s face and shoulders now. The blonde was busy making bubbles in the water.

“Have you thought about what I said yesterday?” asked Inaho watching the sea-blue eyes that were looking anywhere but Inaho.

“I don’t want to think about it.” Slaine said. He glanced at Inaho’s red eyes and thought how shiny it looked because of the steam coming off the bathtub. “Didn’t you say before… that you didn’t want me to remember? What changed?”

“Nothing. But it’s not my choice, it’s yours. And I’m kind of responsible for what happened to you.”

“Shooting me kind of makes you that.”

Inaho froze. But Slaine just started to rub his body with the washcloth he soaped up.

“I remember.” Slaine lifted his head to finally look him straight in the eye with a sad smile.

“Since when?” Inaho asked calmly.

“I don’t know… But I had a feeling. And last night I had a vision that kind of confirmed that feeling.”

Inaho turned his head away for a moment and contemplated how to respond.

“Do you know why it happened?”

Slaine also averted his eyes to the tub and resumed his bathing. “Can you help me wash my hair?” He asked with a hopeful but low voice. Inaho thought he had no choice since the blonde’s shoulder was still healing and he couldn’t lift it above his head without popping the stiches open.

“Okay. Turn around.” Inaho rolled up his pants and took of his shoes and socks.

Slaine turned and rested his head to the side of the tub where Inaho was. And Inaho grabbed the shower head and waited until it was warm. Then he reached for the blonde bangs and pushed them back from Slaine’s eyes. He rested his hand on his temple while wetting the rest of his hair.

“I don’t want to think about it… But I don’t have a choice, do I?” Slaine scoffed and closed his eyes. “That feels a little cold.”

“Mm-hm.” Inaho hummed and adjusted the water to make it warmer. He moved his hand from his temple and started to wander it through the soft locks of hair.

“I won’t lie, Inaho. I remember some things. Do I want to talk about them? No. But I have to tell you some things. If you want to hear them.”

“I do.” Inaho shut the shower head and grabbed the shampoo that was on top of the cabinet. He squirted some in his hand and rubbed it a little before reaching for that wet locks. He used both of his hands and spread the shampoo on the blonde’s scalp and behind his ear. It didn’t escape from Inaho’s attention that a low moan left Slaine’s mouth.

Inaho thought this situation could be viewed as awkward for most people and probably by his friends too. But he saw the blonde’s shoulders relaxing and understood that was just a normal physical reaction for practically receiving a head massage. He ignored looking at the fluttering eyelashes and red cheeks. Especially that full lips constantly opening and closing with pleasure. And that pink lip coming out to lick it before forming a sentence.

“Sorry about that.”

“It’s fine. You hit your head, it must be sensitive. Let me know if I rub a wrong spot.” Inaho turned his attention back to his work and his hands that were gliding through soapy hair. He reached for the shower head again to wash it off. And worked through it slowly without missing a point.

“Can we talk after we finish here?” Slaine asked while lifting his leg higher to rub it with the washcloth in his hand. And repeating the same with his other leg.

“That would be fine.” Inaho replied and finished with Slaine’s hair. “Do you want me to find the hair conditioner?” He asked while putting the shower head on top of the faucet.

“No, it’s fine. It’s too much work.” Slaine lifted his head and retreated back to facing Inaho. “Thanks.”

He smiled hesitantly to Inaho.

“I’ll wait outside. Call me if you need help.” Inaho grabbed his shoes and socks near the door. He wore them and rolled down his pants. Then stood up and left the room with the door closed behind him.

Slaine sighed and splashed his face with water. It didn’t do any good since it wasn’t cooler than his own face.

Inaho waited outside the door and released the breath he didn’t realize he was holding. He thought why humans were uncomfortable around each other’s naked body. Cause he never felt uncomfortable before. Not even when he saved Asseylum that one time. And he didn’t think he was uncomfortable just now either. It was something else. There was a tension in the air but he didn’t know if it had anything to do with what they talked or the situation they were in. Probably both.

“Inaho! Can you help me with my shirt and bandage?” came a voice on the other side of the door. And Inaho went inside without thinking twice.

He helped him put a new bandage and his white shirt. And wondered if it was the old clothes before he spotted the old ones in the sink. “The nurse told me there was a pair in the cabinets before.” Slaine explained. He headed for the door but Inaho stopped him.

“You won’t dry your hair?”

Slaine looked puzzled for a second. “I can?”

This time it was Inaho’s turn to look puzzled. “Of course. Come here.” Inaho helped using the hair dryer for him and they left the bathroom after cleaning after them for a bit.

“Shut up! Don’t laugh!” Slaine hissed while walking to his bed.

“I didn’t say anything.” Inaho replied with his neutral face hiding his amusement for the blonde’s puffy hair.

“I can hear your brain thinking. It’s not funny.”

“No, it isn’t.” Inaho was grateful for his ability to keep a straight face no matter what. He was enjoying this too much.

Slaine just sat down on his bed and Inaho reached for the chair in front of the blonde. Slaine sighed and raised his head to gaze at the brunette with a serious look.

“Do you hate me, Inaho?”

“I don’t have such strong feelings for you. I don’t hate you, Slaine.”

“No, you just don’t like me. Why is that?”

Inaho searched for an answer that wouldn’t give too much and wasn’t a lie. He settled for the half-truth.

“I don’t like your association with the Princess.”

Slaine huffed and started to laugh. Once he realized Inaho wasn’t joking he stopped and frowned.

“Wow, you’re a real bastard, you know.” Slaine took a deep breath to calm down. “Okay, why did you shoot me then? Were you jealous or something?” He asked half-heartedly.

Inaho realized how his answer came through and shook his head.

“I didn’t mean it like that. I meant that I don’t like the fact that you can turn her against us. And as I understand, you are important for her. She values your opinion.”

Slaine considered him for a second and stopped glaring. “Well, I don’t care about hers. Not anymore.”

There was a moment of silence which they both didn’t know how to break. Slaine mostly because he didn’t feel as comfortable as he was with the brunette anymore. And Inaho because of his hesitancy to keep talking.

Slaine pursed his lips and pouted when he realized he didn’t get an answer. “I still don’t understand why you shoot me.”

“You were ready to shoot one of us. And you were being noisy.” Inaho said without a second thought. Maybe he should have thought.

Slaine flushed to the tips of his ear before jumping at the brunette with a cry. They flied out of the chair and rolled to the ground. Inaho took the chance and rolled on top of the blonde. He grabbed Slaine’s wrists and pinned them between their chests.

“Who are you calling noisy, you bastard!” Slaine shouted with his face full of anger. He tried to slip his wrists from Inaho’s grip. And hissed with the pain it caused on his shoulder. “God, I hate this.” Slaine stopped struggling and rested his head on the floor. “Get off me.”

“You are still angry. It wouldn’t be practical.” Inaho said looking at the blonde’s throat that was in front of his face.

“I’ll show you the practical! Of course I’m angry. You shot me!” Slaine lifted his head to look down at him while shouting. Inaho met his eyes with a small smile that made Slaine confused. “What’s so funny?”

“You sound like the old Slaine. Loud, petty and childish.” Inaho smiled at the glare he received from the blonde.

“I’m going to kill you if you don’t shut up soon.”

~*~

Later, Slaine kicked the brunet from his room and started to brood on his bed. He thought he didn’t want to remember his past. But he kept learning about it and he’s memory wasn’t willing to stop coming in flashes. Inaho had warned him about this before. He would remember everything eventually. And he didn’t like that one bit.

Inaho seemed interested in the Princess and he didn’t like Slaine influencing her decisions. Slaine felt betrayed but didn’t know why. Was it because she was her friend from before? And he didn’t want her to get close to Inaho? Or was it because he hoped Inaho would be interested with being friends with him? And now it seemed impossible. Inaho didn’t even like him. He shot Slaine before for god’s sake. Slaine himself wasn’t sure if he wanted to be friends with him anymore.

Slaine was confused. He’s head was throbbing from thinking too much. He decided to sleep before making any decision on anything. He didn’t know he would dream of his life with the Princess. He wouldn’t sleep if he knew.

Memories of various people beating him and swearing at him for being a Terran kept coming to the front of his mind. He felt scared for being alone but soon the Princess joined the memories. He remembered how she always believed his lies about his scars and broken bones. How she didn’t realize what was going on right in front of her eyes.

Slaine awakened to the old nurse leaving a tray of food beside his bed. He watched the woman with wide eyes and a terrified face. He was still panting to catch his breath when she offered him a cup of water. Slaine accepted the water with shaking fingers.

“It’s okay, boy. You were just dreaming. You’re safe. Go back to sleep.”

She took the cup back from his hands and pushed him back to lie. She then patted his hair and raised the covers back to his shoulder. Slaine sighed and closed his eyes. He didn’t know the old lady could be this nice.

~*~

Slaine awakened to a whispering of his name.

“Slaine… Slaine… wake up…”

He jolted up on his bed with wide eyes. “What are you doing here?!” He eyed the girl while leaving his bed with a rush of panic. He wondered how she could get in here and glanced at the closed doors and the camera on the ceiling of his room. He searched the room and couldn’t see Inaho here either.

“Where is Inaho?”

She seemed calm and smiled reassuringly at him. “He is busy. I wanted to talk with you, Slaine.”

Slaine worried what the brunet was doing other than being his guardian. He walked around her and stood with his back to the door. “You should leave. I don’t want to talk with you right now.”

“Slaine, don’t be like this. I want us to be friends like we did before.” She stepped forward with her white dress she always wore everywhere.

Slaine stepped back a few steps and stopped only when she did. “Friends?” He frowned while it triggered his memories from the last night’s dream.

“Of course! You always told me about Earth and its wonderful things. You are so important for me. You are my friend, Slaine.” She smiled brightly at him.

“What a friend you were. Always letting them walk over me like I was dirt under their shoes.” Slaine saw her eyes widen with confusion. “All these years and countless beatings tells me another story, princess. How much naïve can you be, I wonder? Was it fun watching me follow you like a pet dog? Did you kept me alive so you could learn about Earth? How long were you planning to avoid how they treated me?” Slaine spat the words with a calmness he didn’t expect he could have. He wasn’t the old Slaine anymore. He saw her from a different perspective. And it was mind opening.

“Slaine, what are you…” Asseylum didn’t even finish her sentence.

“Yeah, what a friend indeed. A friend doesn’t let those things happen to their friend. I can’t believe how blind I was. Maybe you never witnessed it happening with your own eyes. But you are smart. You must have come to the conclusion of what was happening around you.” Slaine walked back while watching her head bow with shame. It was the only confirmation he needed. He reached for the door and pushed to the button on its side to slide it open.

“You are not my friend, princess. And you will never be.” Her head shot up with his harsh words. Slaine didn’t let her say anything back. “Get out. I don’t want to see you again.”

Before she could do that someone spoke from the door.

“Using my friends to sneak behind my back.” Inaho stood there with a frown and his arms holding a heavy looking box in front of him. “What are you doing here, Seylum-san?”

“I… I just wanted to talk with Slaine…” She glanced at the blonde but he was busy looking at Inaho. “I will leave now.” She said with a sad look on her eyes.

Inaho moved inside next to the blonde while she reached the door. The Princess stopped and glanced at the blonde. Inaho felt Slaine hiding behind him to avoid her. She left with a sad smile on her lips and teary eyes.

Slaine closed the door while Inaho contemplated going after her or not.

Slaine moved next to his bedside table and filled himself a glass of water. Inaho dropped the box on the small desk across the room while he drank it. Slaine sighed with relief and his shoulders relaxed. He moved next to Inaho to take a look at the box.

“What is this?”

Inaho lifted the lid on the box and Slaine’s eyes widened with shock. “I thought you might be bored here. Though my friends did a good job at luring me away from here because of these.”

They gazed at the various books and a tablet inside the small box.

“I’ve put some documentaries you might like in the tablet.” Inaho said while watching the blonde’s awed face turning into an excited one in a second.

“Really? I love them!” He picked the tablet in his hands and fiddled around it for a while. “Whoa, there’s so many here!” He looked up at the brunette with a big smile and put the tablet on the table.

“Thank you, Inaho!” Slaine wrapped his arms around the brunette’s neck before he could stop him and they stumbled back a few steps. Inaho held him to gain his balance. But the blonde pulled back as quickly as he jumped in the first place.

“I’m glad you like them.” Inaho said sincerely.

Slaine stepped back with a flushed face to examine his books by reading each of their title loudly with a childlike excitement. Inaho watched him with a small smile.

~*~

The old nurse Slaine used to fear finished changing his bandage on his shoulder. And Slaine continued to sulk on his bed. He was hugging his legs and watching the nurse putting away the bandages and such.

“Did you watch any of those documentaries yet, son?”

“No… I thought I could watch them with Inaho… But he hasn’t been coming for the last two days.”

The nurse nodded with understanding. No wonder the boy was sulky these past days.

“Don’t worry, Slaine. I’m sure he will be back soon. I heard he leaved for a mission with that Vers Princess.”

Slaine’s eyes widened and then he frowned. “I see… Then I’ll read some books until he comes.” He smiled to show there was nothing to worry about him. And the nurse nodded with a satisfied smile.

“That’s more like it, son.”

Slaine left his bed to pick a book from his desk after she left the room.

“I’m sure the war must have stopped by now. Why does she need him now?” Slaine murmured to himself.

He glared at his books before picking the one with the cover that had splattered blood illustrations. He hoped it was some action packed novel.

“Picking her over me… Wrong move, Inaho.”

He clutched the book in his hands and turned back to his bed.

~*~

Inaho was planning to check up on Slaine’s condition before going to see his sister. He just arrived from escorting Asseylum to go see one of the Orbital Knight’s so she could work on the treaty between Earth and Mars. And she decided to stay there for the time being.

“Kaizuka-san! Welcome back.”

Inaho turned to see an old nurse coming out of a room down the hallway. Inaho recognized her as Slaine’s nurse. He nodded to her.

“Can I have a word with you about Slaine?”

The nurse was smiling but Inaho couldn’t stop himself from worrying. Did something happen while he was gone?

“Of course. What is it?”

The nurse dropped her smile to frown with concern showing on her face.

“I think Slaine is angry with you, Kaizuka-san. He’s trying to seem unaffected but he is sulking since he learned of your mission.”

“Why did you tell him of my mission?”

“Otherwise he would have waited for three days just to watch a documentary with you. Not that it stopped him from waiting anyway. He didn’t touch to that tablet since you brought it to him.”

Inaho couldn’t stop the fondness he felt towards the blonde. Since that meant Slaine wanted to spend his time with him.

The nurse left him alone only after he promised to apologize to Slaine. And Inaho wondered about old ladies and their motherly instincts on his way to see Slaine.

The moment he managed to slide his card on the lock and stepped past the door he was met with a half-naked Slaine coming out of the bathroom. Slaine jumped with surprise and looked behind Inaho to check if there was anyone else.

“Shut that door before I kick you out for not knocking.”

Inaho did as he was told while Slaine put on the white shirt he was holding and buttoned them up. And tucked it inside his tight light-blue jeans. Inaho wondered who brought the clothes and observed how they fit to the blonde’s body.

“You look good.” The words escaped from his lips before he could think better of that. Something like an embarrassed smugness showed itself on the blonde’s face. And Inaho didn’t know it was possible to make it look that seductive.

“Keep talking and I’ll consider keeping you around.” Slaine smirked and walked next to his bed where a pair of sneakers were sitting in a box on the floor. He bent in half while leaning on the bed and put them on before he bent on a knee and tied them.

“Your sister brought these to me. She said they were yours. But I think she bought the shoes. They’re new.”

Slaine stood up and turned with his arms crossed to look at him with a curious look. Inaho was busy looking how the shirt wrapped around his shoulders to deduct what the curious look was for. And the knowledge of his clothes being worn by Slaine was slowing his thought process at least by half.

“That’s good. Yuki came here?”

“Yeah, I guess I have a magnet for Kaizuka siblings harassing me with their questions. She came many times to make sure I wasn’t turning evil.”

Inaho didn’t show it on his face but he felt both angry and thankful towards his sister. He could only hope she didn’t scare Slaine or made allies with him. Both could be expected from Yuki depending on their conversations.

“What did she ask?”

Slaine looked upwards with a thoughtful humming noise.

“Where should I start? She asked me if Asseylum had a crush on anyone once. That was after she confirmed my memories were mostly back. And then she asked if I had a crush on anyone.”

Inaho wasn’t angry or thankful anymore. He was only embarrassed on behalf of his sister. Which he showed with a cringe on his face.

“Which I answered with insisting I didn’t like Asseylum at all. She wasn’t interested with my love life after that. And she punched me once.”

Inaho’s eyebrows shoot up with surprise.

“She said I deserved it for attacking her brother. And I promised her to punch you back twice if it worked like that. Since I don’t have any sibling to do it for me, remind me to punch you sometime later. Then she turned up with a bunch of things she brought for me. I don’t understand what’s going on inside her head honestly. Kind of reminds me of someone else. You two are so similar it hurts my head to think there are two of you.”

After the initial shock of hearing what Yuki and Slaine were up to while he was gone Inaho came back to himself with another shock.

“You think we’re similar?” He couldn’t hide the surprise showing in his voice.

“Well, you might have different appearances but you two have the same facial expressions sometimes. Though she couldn’t pull your poker face to save her life.”

Slaine saw a smile forming on Inaho’s face and stopped his rambling. He was supposed to be angry at Inaho and here he was chatting with him like nothing happened. He pouted and sat down on his bed.

“I’m sorry.”

Slaine looked up with shock. Inaho just apologized to him. About what?

“I’m sorry I couldn’t come and visit you. The truth is I was busy with guarding the princess to an Orbital Knight’s castle so she could get back to her responsibilities as a princess. I also have some good news for you from her.”

“That’s already good enough news for me. She should stuck to being a princess. She’s not much good at anything else.”

Inaho stared at him with a curious look on his face.

“I mean that’s good for Earth and everyone. That’s all.”

From the way Inaho sighed and came to stand just in front of him he wasn’t sure if he was in trouble or not. He didn’t want to talk about the princess with Inaho right now.

“She then made the government drop the charges against you and arranged for your turn to be official with papers. I’ll bring your identification card later. You’re free now.”

Slaine was so surprised he couldn’t hear anything but the word free. He wasn’t imprisoned to a room anymore. He could get out now. He could get out and never see Inaho anymore… That wouldn’t do…

“But I… What would… I mean… I mean I don’t even have anywhere…”

“You can stay with me.”

Slaine was shocked now. Inaho just asked him to stay with him? He must have heard wrong.

“I don’t have a place to stay right now outside the base. But Yuki and I will find an apartment as soon as we can and you should stay with us. But for now I have a room here. We can share it until then.”

Slaine couldn’t stop giggling at Inaho’s babbling.

“I’ll take it. Thank you, Inaho.”

And of course Slaine wasn’t going to waste a perfect chance at hugging him again to show how thankful he was.

And Inaho wasn’t going to let him go quickly this time. Just a few seconds longer to realize Slaine must have showered just before he arrived.

~*~

**Author's Note:**

> It kind of ended in a rush I guess. But I honestly didn't know what else to write or add anymore. It wasn't even supposed to be this long. Some things seems unanswered in the story... That's my lazy self trying for a long plot but giving up mid write. Sorry for any language mistakes.


End file.
